"I have a friend whose relative can't have children and is looking to adopt. They initially said they'd pay a thousand yuan if it were a boy. If I could help negotiate, they might accept a girl, though the price wouldn't be as high."
Hearing her words, Zhang Chunhua and the others' minds began to race.
Chen Mantun's family had given birth to seven daughters in a row; one more or less wouldn't make any difference.
Chen Mancang spoke up, "Second brother's family is in a poor condition and struggles to raise several children. This is a good opportunity. Let's not talk about exchanging it for money; we'd be helping them lighten their burden."
Zhang Chunhua nodded, "Daughters will eventually marry into other families. When the second couple gets old, won't they have to rely on Baozhu for support?"
"How are their conditions?" Old Madam Chen leaned closer and asked.
Widow Liu smiled, "Aunt, they are willing to pay a thousand yuan for a child. Do you think their conditions could be bad?"
...
That afternoon, Wu Chunmei was cooking at home when she looked up and saw Old Madam Chen leading in a woman in her forties or fifties.
"This is from Changling Commune. You can call her Sister-in-law Zheng."
Old Madam Chen introduced them simply. Her gaze swept around the yard, finally settling on a small figure playing by the soy sauce vat. She opened her mouth to call the child over, but only then remembered she didn't even know her granddaughter's name.
"Lao Qi, come here."
Chen Lizhi heard someone calling her. She lifted her chubby face, saw it was Old Madam Chen, dropped what she was holding, and scurried behind Wu Chunmei, clinging to her thigh, shyly afraid to speak.
Children are the most sensitive; they can instinctively feel whether someone likes them or not. Every time Old Madam Chen looked at her sisters, her eyes seemed to carry thorns. Although Chen Lizhi was not yet three, she could sense that this grandmother didn't like her.
Seeing that Old Madam Chen rarely showed a good expression towards her granddaughter, Wu Chunmei quickly pulled Chen Lizhi out from behind her and said with a smile, "Xiao Qi, your grandma is calling you. Speak up."
But no matter how much she reminded her, Chen Lizhi kept her lips pursed and remained silent.
Wu Chunmei had seven daughters. Lao Qi, Chen Lizhi, and Chen Lishu looked the most alike. Thinking of that beastly scoundrel, Old Madam Chen lost her patience with Chen Lizhi.
The Zheng woman's gaze fell on Chen Lizhi, and she nodded inwardly. She thought the child was excellent in age and appearance. Not only would she be pleasing to have, but after a couple of years, the past would be forgotten.
"Sister-in-law, what do you think?"
The Zheng woman nodded with satisfaction, "I like her."
Wu Chunmei watched as they examined Chen Lizhi like a piece of merchandise. Her heart suddenly sank, and a bad premonition arose.
At this moment, Old Madam Chen spoke, "I know your family's conditions aren't good. Someone introduced a family to you. The couple can't have children and wants to adopt one. They won't take the child for free; the other party is willing to pay six hundred yuan."
Wu Chunmei was stunned when she heard her words. After a moment, she tightly hugged Chen Lizhi, "Mom, she's my flesh and blood. How can you use a child to exchange for money!"
Old Madam Chen said impatiently, "What exchange for money? That family has good conditions. The child won't have to suffer with you; she'll go there to enjoy life."
No matter how poor or difficult their lives were, Wu Chunmei had never thought of giving her child away. Hearing Old Madam Chen's words, she shook her head repeatedly, "No, Mom, she's my flesh and blood. I won't send her away."
In all these years, Wu Chunmei had never dared to say no to her. Today, she actually dared to defy her in front of an outsider. Old Madam Chen's blood rushed to her head, and she pointed at her, scolding, "What about your flesh and blood? You yourself are not capable, giving birth to seven useless burdens. Your own health is not good, and the whole family relies on Mantun alone. Are you and your daughters going to drag him to death?"
Chen Mantun returned from his private plot carrying his hoe. As soon as he entered the yard, he saw Old Madam Chen scolding Wu Chunmei. Wu Chunmei's eyes were red from crying, and Chen Lizhi was crying her heart out in her arms.
"Mom, what's going on?" Chen Mantun quickly walked over.
When Old Madam Chen saw him return, before Wu Chunmei could speak, she explained the situation herself, "Mantun, you tell me, do you want the child or your mother? If you only care about your little brats, I'll just throw myself against the door of your house and die."
Chen Mantun's forehead broke out in a sweat as he heard her words. Only when sweat stung his eyes did he raise his hand to wipe it away.
"Mom, Lizhi is my daughter, and she's also your granddaughter. How can you use her to exchange for money?" No matter how hard life was, even if they ate wild vegetables, at least the family was together.
"Fine, you choose your brats over your mother. I don't want to live anymore!" For the sake of her eldest grandson's brick house, Old Madam Chen had gone all out this time. She turned around and lunged directly at the doorframe behind her.
"Bang!"
With a bang, Old Madam Chen's forehead immediately developed a bruise.
Chen Mantun was so terrified when he saw her actually try to hit the pillar that his soul nearly flew out of his body. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed her, "Mom, what are you doing? Are you trying to force your son to death!"
After hitting the pillar, Old Madam Chen's vision went starry. It took her a while to recover slightly.
Seeing him come to stop her, she struggled and made as if to hit it again, crying incessantly, "Who am I doing this for? Isn't it all for your own good? You don't have a son, and you'll have to rely on Baozhu in the future. Don't stop me; I offer my good intentions, and you treat them like donkey lungs and liver. Just let me die!"
With his mother on one side and his own daughter on the other, Chen Mantun felt as if his heart were being fried in a pot of oil. He wished he could just hit the wall and die.
"Wow, Mama—"
As mother and son were struggling, Chen Lizhi's heart-wrenching cries suddenly came from the room. Chen Mantun looked back and realized Wu Chunmei was gone. His eyelids suddenly twitched violently, his heart sank, and he quickly let go of Old Madam Chen and ran into the house.
Following Chen Lizhi's cries, he ran into the east room. When he saw Wu Chunmei lying on the ground with a bottle of pesticide overturned beside her, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.
Hearing that something was wrong, Old Madam Chen exchanged a glance with the Zheng woman, and they both hurried into the room. Upon seeing Wu Chunmei frothing at the mouth, their souls almost left their bodies from fright.
Especially the Zheng woman. With a potential death on her hands, she dared not linger. She quickly turned and fled.
Old Madam Chen's face also turned pale. She was both shocked and scared. Ignoring the injury on her forehead, she turned and slipped away with the Zheng woman.
Chen Lishu and Gu Xingdong had just returned from the mountain. They had a bountiful harvest today. Besides wild vegetables, she had also picked half a basket of mushrooms. Gu Xingdong had found a rabbit warren and managed to snatch three large, plump rabbits.
Before they even reached the yard entrance, they saw Li Xiulan rushing towards them in a panic, "Third son's wife, something's wrong! Your mother drank pesticide!"
Upon hearing her words, Chen Lishu's basket dropped to the ground.